Black Friday is every shopper’s favorite day of the year, and even non-shoppers get out to buy something. However, in the past few years, Black Friday traditions have taken a major turn: most shopping is now done online and at home.
Black Friday first started in the 50s from an influx of shoppers after Thanksgiving due to holiday shopping. Ever since then, stores have been preparing for Black Friday all year. Big names like Walmart, Target and Best Buy were always the hotspots and had the longest lines. People would wake up at the crack of dawn to make sure they got the best deals before other eager shoppers. It was a tradition for some families to wake up early together—I used to go with my mom all the time. Shopping in-stores always gives you a nice feeling when you get to walk out of the store with the items you purchased.
Black Friday always had an online shopping presence, but since Covid, it has shifted into becoming the main outlet of shopping. Instead of waking up early to go wait outside of stores, people just wake up like normal then go on their computer to find the best deals online. This has taken a huge load off of people who can’t normally go shopping in person, and it allows them to buy from the comfort of their own home. However, this has also increased spending habits because it’s much easier to buy. Website giants like Amazon have completely dominated the online shopping game, with almost everybody you know having an Amazon account. With technology and the internet advancing more and more each year, it is becoming easier and easier to shop online.
As we get closer to Black Friday, deals start earlier and earlier. Many places do early deals or “members only” Black Friday deals. Many people see this as a bonus to shopping online since they have more of a chance to buy things they need. Many people also see all this online stuff as an annoyance. People believe that they aren’t able to capitalize on better deals since they are so easily accessible. Also, people who prefer to shop in-store aren’t able to get the best deals because they aren’t shopping online. Many shoppers have started to advocate for better in-store deals since they are taking the time to actually go and shop in the store. Adversely, online shoppers think that they should continue to have better deals since a lot of people aren’t able to shop in stores. This has led to a great divide in Black Friday shoppers and leaves stores questioning which group they should cater to.
I think that online Black Friday is a bonus to have. It’s much easier for people like me who don’t always want to wake up, and when school gives a lot of work over Thanksgiving break, it’s nice to be able to glance over and find a couple deals. If you go out shopping and get home and realize you forgot something, it’s easy to go online and buy it. There are times I’m not close to any stores that have good deals, so instead I go online to shop.
Overall, Black Friday is still very popular online and will continue to grow more and more with stores and people encouraging it. Many people are against the idea of online shopping and choose to still wake up early and shop the deals in-store, but I think it’s very handy to find easy deals online.
